Brian D. O. Anderson's Books

I Am Brian Wilson

A Memoir

By: Brian Wilson,Ben Greenman

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I Am Brian Wilson

A Memoir

By: Brian Wilson,Ben Greenman

Memoir of legendary Beach Boy member Brian Wilson

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Page Count

338

Publisher

Da Capo Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0306823063

ISBN 13

9780306823060

Blood on the Tracks

The Lifea nd Times of S. Brian Willson

By: Willson, S. Brian

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Blood on the Tracks

The Lifea nd Times of S. Brian Willson

By: Willson, S. Brian

“We are not worth more, they are not worth less.” This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psycho-historical memoir. Willson’s story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a “Commie-hating, baseball-loving Baptist,” moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change: tax refusal—which requires simplification of one’s lifestyle; fasting—done publicly in strategic political and/or therapeutic spiritual contexts; and obstruction tactics—strategically placing one’s body in the way of “business as usual.” It was such actions that thrust Brian Willson into the public eye in the mid-’80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only “Veterans Fast for Life” against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested. Losing his legs only strengthened Willson’s identity with millions of unnamed victims of U.S. policy around the world. He provides details of his travels to countries in Latin America and the Middle East and bears witness to the harm done to poor people as well as to the environment by the steamroller of U.S. imperialism. These heart-rending accounts are offered side by side with inspirational stories of nonviolent struggle and the survival of resilient communities Willson’s expanding consciousness also uncovers injustices within his own country, including insights gained through his study and service within the U.S. criminal justice system and personal experiences addressing racial injustices. He discusses coming to terms with his identity as a Viet Nam veteran and the subsequent service he provides to others as director of a veterans outreach center in New England. He draws much inspiration from friends he encounters along the way as he finds himself continually drawn to the path leading to a simpler life that seeks to “do no harm.&rdquo Throughout his personal journey Willson struggles with the question, “Why was it so easy for me, a ’good’ man, to follow orders to travel 9,000 miles from home to participate in killing people who clearly were not a threat to me or any of my fellow citizens?” He eventually comes to the realization that the “American Way of Life” is AWOL from humanity, and that the only way to recover our humanity is by changing our consciousness, one individual at a time, while striving for collective cultural changes toward “less and local.” Thus, Willson offers up his personal story as a metaphorical map for anyone who feels the need to be liberated from the American Way of Life—a guidebook for anyone called by conscience to question continued obedience to vertical power structures while longing to reconnect with the human archetypes of cooperation, equity, mutual respect and empathy.

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Page Count

749

Publisher

PM Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

160486592X

ISBN 13

9781604865929

Brian’s Autobiography and Featuring Some of His Great Achievements

The Wonder of What One Can Achieve When We Take the Time to Build on What We Can Do

By: Brian Willetts

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Brian’s Autobiography and Featuring Some of His Great Achievements

The Wonder of What One Can Achieve When We Take the Time to Build on What We Can Do

By: Brian Willetts

This book does not offer any miracles, although it does offer a better opportunity for someone to get results, for one who is prepared to get out of the victim role and take a positive step into seeing what they can do for themselves. By reading this book, you will realise the significance of continuous learning. And that’s how philosophy tries to discover the nature of truth and knowledge, to find what is of basic value and importance in life. This is about the relationships between humanity and nature and between the individual and the society.

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Page Count

259

Publisher

Xlibris Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1984503472

ISBN 13

9781984503473

Interviews

By: Brian De Palma

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Interviews

By: Brian De Palma

Profiles and q & a interviews which follow De Palma's fortunes as he makes the transition from underground filmmaker to celebrity auteur

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Page Count

248

Publisher

Univ. Press of Mississippi

Published Date

ISBN 10

157806516X

ISBN 13

9781578065165

Blood on the Tracks

The Life and Times of S. Brian Willson : a Psychohistorical Memoir

By: S. Brian Willson

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Blood on the Tracks

The Life and Times of S. Brian Willson : a Psychohistorical Memoir

By: S. Brian Willson

After serving in the Vietnam War, S. Brian Willson became a radical, nonviolent peace protester and pacifist, and this memoir details the drastic governmental and social change he has spent his life fighting for. Chronicling his personal struggle with a government he believes to be unjust, Willson sheds light on the various incarnations of his protests of the U.S. government, including the refusal to pay taxes, public fasting, and, most famously, public obstruction. On September 1, 1987, Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks. Providing a full look into the tragic event, Willson, who lost his legs in the incident, discusses how the subsequent publicity propelled his cause toward the national consciousness. Now, 23 years later, Willson tells his story of social injustice, nonviolent struggle, and the so-called American way of life.

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